Karakura Sunset
by aniras-nelle
Summary: A prequel to the events in Bleach about Rukia and Ichigo's father. Sorry for any potential plot holes in the Bleach world time frame.


A soul reaper takes souls. That's how it works. That's how it always works. There might be a few hiccups now and then, some souls don't wanna move on and make a hell of a noise while you have to chase them down. Chasing some fat idiot down the street just because he doesn't want to leave his fish all alone isn't usually in the job description but it happens. Don't know how someone gets so attached to a potential fish stick but the living, sorry recently living are a pretty weird bunch.

Either way that doesn't really describe what's in front of me. Some little girl is pulling on my pants crying because her kitty died. This might not be that unusual you may think but I've been dead for quite awhile and just graduated to patrolling around this town, Karakura or something. Nice enough place, though they still have horses pulling carts around. Well back to the point, the strange thing is that the girl pulling hard enough to reveal my loincloth (ok, normally I would like this but she's like 5 and I prefer a bit more curves) is alive. A L I V E.

What the hell?

I'd ask her where her parents are and quietly move along but she looks pretty dirty. I don't think she's seen the inside of a house for a long time. She has to be a little disturbed or something, she's still holding the dead kitten in one arm while holding onto me with the other. Shit. I try asking her name, where she's from but she just mutely sits there. As a last resort I ask the kitten's name, to my absolute shock she actually replied, I could barely hear her say 'Ichigo'. Strawberry eh? Well the cat's fur is pretty orange and even looks a little pinkish in the sunlight.

"Let's take Ichigo somewhere to rest then." I told her, she nodded as she followed me through the alleyways to the local shrine. I felt a little strange having a little girl with a dead cat hold onto me like a little kid hiding behind their mother's skirt. We eventually found a quiet little spot in a bamboo grove which had a disused shrine for the local 'god'. In this case I guess that would be me, conceited I know. Luckily I could touch stuff that isn't human, well at least human without any spiritual power. This girl was another case. I buried a small hole for Ichigo and buried him, giving him a small pile of stones that humans seem to do to mark someone was buried here. The girl found some tiny white flowers and put it on the grave. To break the silence told her Ichigo was a good strong name to give to the cat, he seemed pretty important to her. I got a small twig and wrote on the ground.

"See, if you write it like this it means 'he who protects'." I'm pretty sure she didn't know how to read, but she seemed impressed. We stayed there for awhile until sunset. It was spring but it was still cold at night so we started to head back to town.

"My…my name is Rukia. My sister lives down here…" she mumbled, half stuttering. I was shocked, here was the red light district to put it nicely. She led me down to the back of the smallest and dirtiest house in the middle of the district where she knocked on the back door three times. A small old woman came out.

"Oh its you. She's with a customer right now. Go away. You can have some scraps and sleep under the stairs later. Now go before I get the broom on you again."

"But my friend…"

"There's no one there idiot." The old lady was about to pull out her weapon of choice from behind the door when there was a scream from inside. Rukia ran inside, I went after her to see some idiot with a sword waving it around. He was too drunk to understand but the basic idea was he ran out of money for what he wanted. Rukia was in the arms of another girl that was about 13 wearing a cheap, gaudy yukata with bad makeup. He slammed the table which scared both girls so much the older one pulled Rukia outside. I followed with the drunk right behind me.

"What that kid is here again!?!" he slurred, "Pfft, I'll step on that runt like that cat."

"No, don't." pleaded the older girl, with Rukia hidden behind her. He ran up to punch her and I stepped in between them just as he stepped through me. He punched her hard enough to send her and Rukia flying.

They landed under the wheels of a carriage. Apparently the magistrate was having a 'night out'. They didn't even stand a chance.

I could take a soul, but I couldn't even save one. I went next to her and held her hand watching her life seep into the ground while a crowd gathered. While the local 'protection' thugs were beating the drunk I took their souls, one cradled in each arm.

I met some of my co-workers down at the local 'transfer' point. They seemed a bit surprised seeing my sombre look and me carrying a couple of kids. I managed to get them to be sent to Soul Society together, so at least they had some small comfort. I put them down so that they could leave to hopefully a better place. Rukia tugged at my pants again and asked for my name. I ruffled her hair and gave her a nudge towards her sister.

"It's Kurosaki, kid." I replied as Rukia took her sister's hand and faded to the other side.


End file.
